Understanding Love
by Essessency
Summary: All Farkle Minkus wanted was to understand love. He tried so hard to figure it out, that maybe he didn't realize it was right in front of him. Maybe love was disguised as Riley Matthews. Riarkle. A series of drabbles. Fluff.
1. The Concept of Love

**x.x**

It was late, maybe midnight or later.

Not that he would know. The curtains were closed and he continued staring at the Milky Way on his ceiling.

But his mind was on other things. Like the fact that Smackle openly flirted with Lucas in front of him. Again. He knew she couldn't help it, and he cursed himself for getting upset. He didn't blame her. Lucas was perfect. He was attractive, a scholar athlete, and a scholar student. Farkle may have been a genius, but that's all he had going for him.

First Lucas took Riley away.

And then Maya.

And now Smackle.

Farkle couldn't possibly compare to the perfection that Lucas Friar was. That was where the term 'freak face' came from. Lucas wasn't a freak at all. He was just freaky good looking.

And Farkle was insecure, about everything. He always had been.

Would ever compare with Lucas?

No. They were on completely different levels.

Lucas had chosen Riley, but he still seemed awfully flirty with Maya. And Maya was awfully flirty with him. Farkle wondered if Riley noticed, and if she felt the same way that he did when someone flirted with Lucas.

He didn't even realize that his fists were clenched. He hated the thought of Lucas hurting Riley. Lucas already hurt her, unintentionally of course. But he knew that Riley was insecure. And he didn't want her to be hurt anymore.

Farkle took out his phone, curious to see who Lucas was truly in love with. Riley? Or Maya?

He looked up "10 Definitive Ways To Tell You're in Love With the Right Someone".

He wasn't prepared for what would come next.

 **x.x**

 **Hey guys! this is my new Riarkle story. It's a series of oneshots based on memories, flashbacks, and other cutesy things. PLease read and review if you want me to continue!**

 **-Essessency**


	2. Maybe Mars and Pluto Collide?

**The Best Part of Your Day.**

" _ **Riley is the sun. Warm and bright and lights up my whole day."**_

 _Farkle sat at Topanga's. Nobody was there yet. In fact, he wasn't sure where everyone else was. He checked his cell phone to see._

 _Oh, it was only 3:20. He was forty minutes early._

 _He sighed to himself. He just wanted to leave. His parents were fighting again when he got home. He found a crystal glass smashed and the anniversary picture of his parents in the garbage._

 _Immediately, he knew it would start up again. So he left._

 _He never showed weakness. He never cried. He could never bring himself to cry. To show real emotion. He just bottled it in. It wasn't worth crying over._

" _Farkle?"_

 _He looked up suddenly, seeing Riley standing there with her backpack. He gave her a tight lipped smile. "Hey Riley."_

" _Why are you so early?" She set her backpack on the table and sat next to him._

 _He avoided her glance, knowing he wouldn't be able to lie to her._

 _Maybe he did have a weakness._

" _Farkle." She pushed and used her hand to hold his chin, forcing him to look in her eyes. "What's wrong?"_

 _He stared at her blankly. "It's just family stuff. It's not important."_

 _She gave him a pointed look, letting go of his face. "If it's hurting you then it is important. Are they fighting again?"_

 _He looked surprised. "You know about that?"_

" _Farkle, you are one of my best friends. I know you."_

 _He smiled slightly, it made him happy to know that she noticed him. "Well, there's not really anything that can be done."_

" _Maybe so." Riley nodded. "But I do have something for you."_

" _You do?"_

 _She gave him that smile that he loved so much. "Well, as I know you know, that big meteor shower is coming up."_

" _Yeah, it's this weekend. I'm trying to get my dad to take me upstate, where there's less light pollution."_

" _Well," Riley continued. "I know that it is a big deal to you. And my mom is making a special batch of cookies to celebrate. I snuck this one from the kitchen." She reached into her backpack and pulled out a circular cookie covered in plastic wrap. He unwrapped it and saw that the cookie was orange (his favorite color) and red. He smiled._

" _You got me a Mars cookie."_

" _She nodded and pulled out another, much smaller, blue and purple cookie. "And I've got Pluto! You know Farkle, my uncle Shawn lives upstate. I'm sure that I can swing a trip for all of us to go up for the meteor shower."_

 _He smiled. "You would do that for me?"_

" _Of course I would." She wrapped him in a side hug. "I really hope your day gets better, Farkle."_

 _He hugged her back lightly. "It already has."_

 **x.x**


	3. Thoughts of You Cloud my Mind

**2\. The First Person You Think About.**

"Riley, I came over to check on you. Because, well I kind of expected this."

He was always there. Anytime she was in trouble or she was hurting, he was there.

Anytime she needed someone to talk to or just a hug, he was there.

And most of the time, he was taken for granted.

But he would do anything for her. He would know when she needed him. He just knew. He knew when she wasn't herself and he knew when she was hiding something.

Sometimes he felt like he knew her better than she knew herself.

But she was always the first person on his mind.

 **"Because you've always been Riley. That's your permanent record."**

He would sometimes come into the bay window too. Unless she was sitting there, he would politely knock. And sometimes he stayed there for five minutes. Other times, five hours. However long she needed him.

There was that time in fifth grade. She had been her klutzy self and tripped up the stairs, somehow spraining her ankle. And that night, she was confined to bedrest. She stared at the ceiling, wishing that she could have a redo. It was boring to be just stuck at home.

But he knocked and she smiled. She at least would have company.

And he made her a glass of chocolate milk and read her a book. And she said that he would be a good doctor one day, and she eventually fell asleep. A smile on her face.

And he smiled too. He loved how peaceful she looked. He wished her sweet dreams and pulled a fluffy blanket over her.

And through the window, he was gone as soon as he came.

 **x.x**


	4. Little Did She Know

**3\. You Prioritize Above Your Own Needs**

" _ **I'm doing it for you, Riley. I care so much about you that I want you to know that the truth is always the best thing."**_

 _All that drama with the triangle. He wasn't sure where he fit into it. All he knew was he didn't understand all of the feelings and he didn't want anything to change._

 _He was only sure of one person's feelings. And it wasn't his own._

 _As soon as he was conscious, he checked his phone for texts from her. He stopped by her window, to see if she was okay. He dragged her outside so he could talk to her in private._

 _He had been feelings things too, and he indirectly admitted it. But she didn't catch it._

 _The difference was, he repressed his feelings for so long. And he knew what it was like to not be noticed._

 _He didn't want her to feel that pain._

 _And so if she wouldn't tell him how she felt, he would tell her how she felt._

 _And she would get up from the stairs and walk away._

" _How do you know about that Farkle. You weren't even there."_

 _And he followed her, wanting to tell her that he knew, because he noticed these things about her. Not that she would notice them about him. "It doesn't matter. What you're thinking is how you really feel."_

 _Not that he would admit anything to her._

 _Because, what he was thinking was how he really felt._

 _But that didn't matter right now. Only she did._


	5. I Wanna See You Smile

**4\. You'd Do Anything.**

" _ **I would do anything you asked me. I want you happy."**_

 _He remembered their first Valentine's Day together. They were only eight. Riley was talking about weeks before the actual holiday. She was so excited to celebrate a full day of love and friendship. Maya was in it for the free candy._

 _Ever since they first met, he knew Riley was a hopeless romantic. She always dressed up as a prince and gushed about her dreams about being rescued by a handsome prince. Farkle always hoped that he could play the role of her prince, but every time he mentioned it, he was turned down. She always told him that he was one of her best friends, and that she didn't want to marry her best friend because that would be weird._

 _He shrugged it off, happy that they were friends in the first place. If that was what she wanted, he wasn't one to argue._

 _She didn't buy the cliche children's Valentine's donned with cartoon characters and cheesy love puns. She decided to make them homemade, because then they would be individual and special._

 _Just like her._

 _She also had the biggest crush on Joey Daniels, the heartthrob of the second grade. She made his extra special, with foam hearts and rainbow stickers._

 _During the party, she skipped over to Farkle, handing him an orange envelope._

" _Uh, Riley. You know the colors for Valentine's Day are white, red, and pink right?" He peeked into her bag, seeing that all the other envelopes were those respective colors._

 _She giggled, and he decided it was his favorite sound in the world. "Of course I know that, silly! But, orange is your favorite color and I wanted your valentine to be as unique as you are."_

 _He found himself turning red, but before he could mutter a thank you, she skipped off towards the next person. He sat down at his desk, quietly opening the letter and looking at it under his desk._

" _Dear Farkle,_

 _Thank you for being one of the bestest friends ever. I hope that you have a Valentine's Day that is out of this world!_

 _Love, Riley Matthews"_

 _He smiled at her bubbly handwriting and her hand drawn pictures of the moon and stars. She knew his fascination for space. Along with her moon and stars were stickers of the different planets. She put little Pluto right next Mars._

 _He pretended not to notice the little heart stickers that were between them, either._

 _After class, he usually walked home with Riley and Maya. He was too embarrassed to have his chauffeur pick him up in their limo. He begged his mom to let him walk home with Riley and Maya, who would be walking with Mr. Matthews and taking the subway. He ran to the playground, where Maya and Riley would wait for her dad to arrive from his teaching job at the middle school._

 _He saw Maya first, sitting on the swings. Then he saw Riley next to her, her long hair down and covering her face. He immediately knew that something was wrong._

" _Riley!" He ran over to her and she looked up with tear filled eyes. "What happened? Are you okay?" She had been so happy earlier, and now she all of a sudden switched gears._

 _Tears leaked out of her eyes but she quickly wiped them away and put on a tight lipped smile. "Yeah, I'm fine Farkle."_

" _Please don't lie to me." He said in a pleading tone._

 _Maya audibly sighed. "Joey Daniels didn't like the Valentine she made. He said it was too girly and it made him embarrassed."_

 _Riley started sobbing. "But I put so much work into that Valentine! All I wanted was for him to like it and he didn't…" She put her hands into her face._

 _Farkle found himself getting angry at Joey for making Riley cried. He clenched his fists and looked to Maya. "Where is he? I want to give him a piece of my mind."_

 _Maya chuckled. "No need to pretend to be all tough, Farkle. I took care of it." She smiled proudly. "You two will just have recess without me for the next week."_

 _Maya's comment stung but he shrugged it off and turned to Riley, who was still sobbing over the loss of her Valentine._

" _Who cares about him anyways." Farkle said. "He isn't all that."_

 _Riley looked up. "But I really really liked him…"_

" _Riley, if he hurt you then he isn't good for you. He doesn't deserve you. You deserve someone who will make you happy and treat you like the princess you are."_

 _She sighed. "But what if I never find him Farkle? I don't want to be alone on the day to celebrate love."_

 _He pat her back. "Maya and I are still here. We are still best friends. We can all be each other's Valentine's."_

 _She wiped away her tears again and gave him a small smile. "You would do that for me?"_

" _Of course." Maya answered and grabbed her hand. Farkle grabbed the other and nodded._

 _They were the three bestest friends, and nothing could ever change that._


	6. I'm As Good As My Promise

**5\. You Are Never Afraid To Express Your Feelings In Public.**

" _ **I've been in love with Riley since the first grade."**_

 _He remembered the first day they met. It was the beginning of first grade and it wa painfully awkward. He tried hard to branch out, but he couldn't be himself. How many other first graders studied humanities and could solve hard algebra equations?_

 _But Riley didn't judge. She saw him on the playground, sitting under a tree and reading a book. She asked if he would like to join her and her friend to play jump rope. He politely declined, but she wouldn't take no for an answer._

 _So he found himself on one side of the rope while Riley was on the other, and her friend Maya was jumping. He asked Riley why she wouldn't jump, and she blushed and said that she was a tad clumsy. She asked him many times for his name, but he kept changing the subject._

 _They played at recess every day, and nearly a month later, Riley invited him to her Halloween party._

 _She knew little about him. She knew that he was a genius. She knew that he loved turtlenecks, because they kept him warm and cozy and secure. She knew that he didn't have many friends, because he was different. She liked different. She was different too._

 _She, on the other hand, was an open book. He found out everyone there was to know within the span of two recesses. He knew that her favorite color in the whole world was purple. She loved ketchup on her mac & cheese. She wanted to grow up to be a princess and live happily ever after, but she also wanted to save the world. She has a stuffed bear named Beary and she loved the concept of butterflies. She loved Pluto. She loved Pluto with all of her heart. _

_But the most important thing he found out, was that she was Riley. She was goofy, weird, and probably the most optimistic person he'd ever met. She really lived life with no regrets, and she always saw the best in people._

 _And maybe that could change everyone for the better._

 _He went to the party, seeing other kids from their class. He wanted to look for Riley, the only friendly face. But she was with another girl, and he didn't want to bother her. He sat by the table, reading the myths behind the constellations while his father and Riley's father were having a conversation. Riley's mom was running around, making sure all the kids kept busy and were having fun._

 _He was deep into his book when the constant sound of splashing was heard. He looked up and saw that Riley was bobbing for apples. Her blonde friend stood there, rolling her eyes. He figured they were just having fun. But Riley's arms were flailing and she was under the water for quite a while._

 _"Hello ladies," He said as he flipped his Dracula cape. "What's the matter with her?"_

 _Maya explained that she wouldn't lift her head. That's just how Riley was._

 _So he immediately went over and lifted her out. Her hair and face were dripping wet, but she immediately saw her rescuer and smiled._

" _You saved my life." She realized._

 _He slightly nodded and looked down, a bit embarrassed._

" _How can I repay you?" She continued. Her eyes widened as a lightbulb went off in her head. "I know! Apple!" She turned to the bucket and dove back in, looking for an apple. She wouldn't lift her head, and Farkle turned over to look at her friend._

" _She's a lot of work." She explained._

 _And so he lifted her back up, and she gasped for a breath._

" _I am not a smart person…" She admitted._

 _He looked over at Maya, realizing that those two would truly be inseparable. He was told to branch out. Well, if Riley could accept him, couldn't her friend accept him too?_

" _That's why you could both use a friend like me…" He said shyly._

 _"Why?" Maya inquired._

 _"Because I promise to love you both the same."_

" _But what if you love one of us more?" Riley asked. "What if you marry one of us?"_

 _Of course he didn't know they would be his two fake wives in the future, but all he knew in that moment is that he had loved them from that time on. So he put his arms around their shoulders, one on each said and emphasized. "Both of you the same."_


End file.
